VCU released its full non-conference schedule this morning and it’s as we suspected, it’s pretty darn loaded. Games with Tennessee, Villanova, Cincinnati, Virginia, as well as some other under-the-radar giant killers like Belmont, Toledo and Cleveland State line line a really solid slate:

Of course, some teams will be better than last year and others will fall off some, but overall, you can see that there are a ton of quality teams on here. VCU will have every opportunity to build an NCAA resume. Of this group of 14 teams, nine finished last year in Ken Pomeroy’s top 100. Just one team posted a losing record, and eight played in the NCAA Tournament or the NIT. Also, you may notice his postseason notes on Old Dominion. Those are his words, not mine, but as you can see, the spirit of the rivalry lives.

I’d be curious to hear your thoughts, but this has got to be one of the best non-conference schedules in school history, does it not?

Like this:

The full Legends Classic bracket was released this morning, revealing a VCU-Villanova matchup on Nov. 24 at Barclays Center. From there, it’s either Oregon or Michigan on Nov. 25. No matter what, VCU was going to get two great, tough games out of this trio, but Villanova might represent the biggest challenge in the field. The Wildcats were 29-5 last season, and although they lose leading scorer James Bell to graduation, they return a ton of talent, as well as Jay Wright’s impressive wardrobe.

You’ll also notice a date with Maryland-Eastern Shore in the bracket, which gives additional clarity to VCU’s 2014-15 schedule. Here’s what we have so far, and I’m told the rest will be released soon:

This does not include known dates with Virginia, Cincinnati and Old Dominion, as well as others. As it stands, the Rams are already slated to meet teams from the SEC, [New] Big East, [Old Big East] American Athletic, ACC and Big Ten/Pac-12. Plus, Toledo was arguably the best team in the MAC last year.

There will not be a lack of potential RPI boosters in this year’s schedule. If the Rams play well, they’ll have every opportunity to earn a high NCAA Tournament seed. Of VCU’s known potential opponents for next season, 10 – Villanova (8), Virginia (10), Michigan (11), Cincinnati (22), Saint Louis (24), UMass (26), Oregon (27), Dayton (33), Tennessee (37) and Toledo (43) – were ranked inside the RPI top 50 last year. That doesn’t guarantee those teams will enjoy the same success in 2014-15, but it does speak, in a general sense, of the competition VCU has assembled in this year’s schedule.

Also, four out of VCU’s first five games will be televised on national TV, with more on the way. These are the salad days, folks.